Prosciutto & Asparagus Pizza

March 31st, 2012 kyle

All of you readers are in for a real treat. This morning, when making porridge, I talked about how I am always amazed at the variety of dishes available on a Paleo diet. Usually any of your common favorites can be replicated in some way, like my version of porridge this morning or how about pizza!? Yes, that’s right. Pizza is allowed in our world…just with some slight alterations. We never skip a beat here though — we like pizza, and we like tacos, and we like treats! We just have to prepare them a little differently to make them optimal for your body. So if you’re at all interested in the kind of lifestyle we live, but you’re afraid of foods you might have to lose…just stick with me. I’ll make sure you get your favorites from pizza to chicken fried steak.

This meal was extra special because it was so incredibly homemade and fresh. One thing I try to do is eat vegetables and fruits that are in season. This is desirable because you know you’re getting really fresh produce, it’s generally cheaper, and it’s just natural. The thing now days though is that when you go to the grocery store you can usually find everything all at once! That can be nice too, especially if you just have a craving for something. I admit that I often veer out of season if it’s just something that I want, like wanting pureed pumpkin this morning! Ahh the beauty of canned goods. Anyway – this meal was fabulous because it features one of Spring’s major players: Asparagus. Yup, that’s right…asparagus is a vegetable abundantly available in Spring and at a great price. Now realize that depending on your location some of these items may vary a bit. What’s important is knowing what is seasonally available near you so you can take advantage of these things. Visit this website to figure out what kinds of produce are fresh in your area.

When you think of asparagus — do you typically eat it steamed? How about broiled or grilled with just a little salt and pepper? Yup, those are some of our favorite methods as well. But what about an asparagus pizza!? I got this idea from the April issue of a magazine called Eating Well. The pizza spiraled with bright green asparagus spears mimicking rays of sunlight caught my attention immediately! Problem was, the pizza wasn’t at all Paleo approved. NBD! I made it Paleo. And here we go….

Whisk your eggs, oil, and coconut milk in a separate bowl until well blended.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well.

Grease a pizza pan lightly with some coconut oil, and spread pizza dough out evenly.

Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, alone without any toppings.

** This pizza crust will be sticky. Not like the pizza crust you might be used to. As long as you work with it quickly you will be able to form it on to your pan with ease, but it does take a bit of finesse.

Once your crust is done you can add your toppings. While it is baking you can get everything ready:

Ingredients for Pizza

1 bunch of asparagus

4 slices of prosciutto, chopped

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

raw goat cheese, optional

Process

Combine 2 tbsp. olive oil with the minced garlic in small bowl. Set aside.

Trim your asparagus spears — you want them to cook quickly so cut a good 4 inches off starting from the bottom. If you have thicker spears you may cut them in half.

Toss spears with the remaining tbsp. of olive oil as well as salt and pepper to your liking.

Once you have removed pizza crust from the oven, turn the heat up to 425 degrees. Now, with a small basting brush – brush the oil and garlic mixture all over the top of your crust.

Arrange the spears fanned out manner — try to keep them in a single layer as much as possible with the tips facing outward.

Sprinkle chopped prosciutto and goat cheese over the asparagus.

Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the spears are tender.

Slice and enjoy!

Are you confused about the cheese? Haha! Generally, no, we do not consume dairy products — although you have seen butter mentioned in my cooking as well. So what’s the deal!? Well, thare are a slew of health benefits that come from these products — but only in their raw form. Milk, cheese, and butter that comes from grass-fed animals has incredible amounts of CLA – conjugated lineolic acid – which has been discovered to have lots of anti-cancer properties. Eating these dairy products raw means that they have not been pasteurized – so they are chock full of great bacteria that will be benefical to your gut. As far as the goat variety versus cow — well that’s solely due to lactose intolerance. Jason has had issues with cow’s milk, and often times folks that are intollerant to cow’s milk/cheese don’t have the same adverse effects to dairy that comes from other animals. We eat dairy very seldom, but because of the great health benefits found in the raw variety we have it every once in a while, and on top of pizza is the perfect place for it! Remember, raw and from grass-fed animals…that is key. Read more about the benefits of raw products here. If you’re eating cheese that comes in a zip-lock bag or out of a pressurized can you should be ashamed of yourself and sit in the corner for a time out.